Around the House

I start packing today...like official, clear the house, we are moving soon packing. I only have about 3 weeks in this house before I leave.

I have loved this place. There is an energy here...a happy light. You can tell it has been here a long time. I love the morning sunshine that comes in the dining room. I will miss all the details like the curved arches, molding and french doors. I planted the tree in the front yard and created all the gardens, along with Steve of course! We bought this home knowing we were getting a dog who would need a big fenced in yard. Cooper loves it here. We started our family here...walking each newborn in through the door, wondering what new adventures would follow. I adored the nursery...how bright it was and how that corner room seems to sit up higher than the rest. Made me feel protected and safe.

I had to document all the sights around the house that bring me joy or remind me of special moments. Perfect for a double pager, huh!?




Kept the design simple here! My photos have a lot of colors so matching these with coordinating background paper would have been difficult. So I just stayed true to my love affair with Kraft. It needed some kind of pop though so I made the title circle large and bold. Placed it there right on top of the photo of the house to give your eye a starting place.

and yes...I still continue to adore banners. I can't get enough!

Almost time to start packing up my dining room. Hmmm...if I pack ALL the dishes, does that mean I don't have to cook for the next 3 weeks?

Answered Prayers

Thank goodness...really...
my dad came through his surgery with flying colors. He ended up needing quadruple bypass, but they said that he did great!

I cannot tell you how important this man is to me. My true hero in life. He is not my biological father. But before age 5 took me under his wing as if I were his, heart and soul. He has been steady and supportive, protective, yet encouraging. He has always pushed me and has always told me how proud of me he is.

We may not share a bloodline, but we share memories, bonds, and love. He has always been my dad, a true father. And I have never viewed him as anything but...

I had to pull this from the archives, but did find a layout about him. Makes me realize that I need to grab my camera at Easter and take lots of photos of all of my family members.





Thank you for all the well wishes and prayers. I believe they protected him. I know he was watched over by our guardian angel, Baby James. Those two forces together kept him safe and for that I am forever grateful.

Wednesday...

...of a busy week. Flying in today to say thanks for all the well wishes and support I received after my last post. I means so much and I know all the positive thoughts will help.

The kiddo's daily antics and distinct personality traits help brighten the mood too. They crack me up and make me smile.

Ella continues to become her own person, and she is clear about who that is! Actually, she is developing a conscience lately. I remember Nathan going through this shift and it was awesome to see his behavior change!

Whenever I need fresh photos, I grab my camera and snap some in the driveway before we get in the car to leave for work/school. I always end up with the cutest pictures and the ones on the layout below are no exception.

There is Ella, wearing a coat that is one size too big and a hat made for an 8 year old. Bless my mom's heart, she loves to spoil my kids, but she often buys wrong sizes. Ella loves it though and wears that hat all the time. It cracks me up to see how bulky everything is. Deserves a layout right?




I used the awesome Artisan tape from Pink Paislee to make this little bow! Fold it in half to make it a bit thin and then just mock up a bow. Meaning...its not really tied together! Made this layout using my March The Nook kit and beautiful Pink Paislee!

Off to work...fun is...

It Happens, Right?

...a little weepy today. Life really is great overall...my kids are happy and healthy, my future is bright as Steve and I get ready to move into our dream house, I have seen some scrappy goals come to fruition, friends are good...

but I am weepy. I have a reason. I am nervous about my dad. He will be having open heart surgery at the week's end. Truly, I realize that it is a routine operation these days and the success rate is fabulous. But he is my dad. Has been my rock for all of my life. There is no one quite like him to me. So I am nervous.

It is probably exaggerated by the fact that my family can't take any more tragedy or loss. We have suffered so much this past year. Everyone is just coming out of the grief. There will always be a sadness, regret and loss. But the light is back in people's eyes and plans for the future are being formulated with great enthusiasm. So I am nervous.

I didn't realize it until I was standing in my kitchen and started to cry a bit. It happens, those days where you just feel off no matter what is happening around you.

And so, I share it. Put it out into the universe, write about it, scrap about it because I gain strength from that process. And I know that I am supported, that prayers will follow.

Wanted to share a layout I created for the ezine...captures all the emotions surrounding family loss.



I know that happy days can't exist without weepy days. That I will have many moments where I am nervous. It will be okay...it has to be!

My Fix

ahhhh...in an effort to has the freshest product following CHA, we settled on a later kit over at The Nook. I didn't realize how much I missed getting them until they were gone. What's the saying? Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

This month's kit features the fabulous Bayberry Cottage line from Pink Paislee! Here is the thing about a great collection...you don't get tired of using it! Here is my first kit layout!



Nathan and Ella...they laugh a ton. We can't figure out what is so funny...but they get the inside joke apparently! I stacked my title a bit here...a technique I am loving lately.

In other news, ScrapStreet.com Magazine is adding to their staff. Here is the call:

Details:ScrapStreet.com Magazine Team CallDate: April 10, 2010
Note: ScrapStreet.com Magazine is looking for fun and creative designers who
love to scrapbook to add to our team. Traditional, hybrid, digital, layout,
card, and altered artists are all encouraged to apply.

The Job:
Our team publishes a monthly ezine with thousands of subscribers and a 5
year history. We love finding and showcasing talented scrappers and
beautiful products. If you are selected for our team, you will write a
monthly article which will include selecting and requesting the work of
designers, combining the work into an interesting article, and meeting your
deadline.

You will also receive products at least 6 times a year from a variety of
manufacturers and will scrap several items to showcase their lines. It is
an excellent opportunity to increase your visibility in the scrapping
community while having fun.

To Apply:
Send the following to designteam@scrapstreet.com
contact information
a short statement of why you are interested in joining us.
3 of your favorite creations showcasing your style.
a link to your blog.
a link to your gallery.

I hope you check this call out! It is a great place to design for and my teammates have become great friends!

Time to make chocolate chip pancakes...our Sunday morning ritual! Only a few more Sundays in this house...can't believe how fast it is all moving. Super excited over here!

Happy Sunday!

Happiness in a Triangle

Some things just inherently make a person happy. Cupcakes, puppies, newborn babies, and well, banners! I see banners everywhere these days and while the scrappy world might be saturated with them at the moment, I still love them. I am reminded of country fairs, birthday parties, and carnivals! I have been using them a bunch on projects and decided to create my own using Pink Paislee products!

Loving a good theme, I went with the whole race car/Lightning McQueen feel. Nathan adores the movie Cars so it makes this layout even more special to me:



Nathan really never stops moving. We have had a million talks with him about personal space because he can't stop himself quick enough from entering into someone else's! I caught these pictures one day in the driveway and loved how they had a certain motion to them! This layout was born!

To see exactly how I made the banners, pop over to the Pink Paislee blog. I give step by step instructions! I used mainly the 365 Degrees collection here along with touches of Queen Bee! Everything really goes so well together!

Time to race off and start my day! Hope yours is fabulous!

Putting It All Together

ahh...isn't furniture shopping supposed to be fun...instead, my head hurts because I get a bit obsessed by stuff like this. I like to call it focused. Driven. Analytical.

It will work out and if not, there are always slip covers right?

Speaking of focused, the teachers at Nathan's preschool have been fascinated by his puzzle-building abilities! One of his teachers has brought in a couple of different ones to challenge him, but he keeps on putting them together fairly easily. He has a great visual memory and can see the big picture! I hope he uses these strengths to the best of his ability!

I created this layout about his ability to think big and how I hope it continues!





Speaking of putting the pieces together, who is following Lost this year? I have really loved the last couple of episodes and find myself enjoying the parallel universes. I just wonder if things will become clearer. Didn't watch all these years to leave feeling confused.

Just what I need, another thing to make my head hurt!

Here's to hoping you have a great weekend, full of easy decisions!

Trusting Your Decisions

Steve and I made the deliberate and well-thought out decision to wait a year prior to sending Nathan to kindergarten. He turned five this past October and could have started school.

But we knew that he needed some extra time. His mind and thoughts were ahead of his emotionality. His passion and intense nature were more than he could handle.

This is a kid who is full of curiosity and energy and happiness. That is a good thing, unless you can't control yourself. We didn't want his positive traits to be perceived as negatives...so we waited.

We sent him to preschool after he spent his first four years with Nana. She gave him so much love and confidence. That was as important to us as him learning to cut, paint and transition to centers.

Last September, I was worried about his ability to cope with changes at school. To focus and listen. We had a transition the first month and he learned how serious we were about his doing well at school.

Something happened. He shifted, grew into himself... blossomed, really. He has a love for learning, for doing puzzles, for drawing and writing words. He enjoys stories and has many friends.

That special guy we adore is shining through. So the worry is gone. I am so looking forward to next year when he will enter kindergarten as a six year old. And in true scrapper form, I made a layout to celebrate this fact and to document our decision!





Supplies: Paper, Punch-outs, Alphabet, Flip Notes: 365 Degrees by Pink Paislee


This experience has taught me to trust in our decisions. It has taught me that worry won't get me far, but belief in myself and others will take me to great heights!

Easy as 1,2,3...

I've Been Bitten by the Bug

As in the decorating bug...

it has been a long time since I needed to shop for a new couch or think about color schemes. Today found me visiting Pottery Barn after my lovely husband took the kids for a couple of hours. I could spend all day there. I found a gorgeous pillow that will be my inspiration for the new house...it will help me determine furniture pieces and paint colors.

I can't find it online except as a part of this living room arrangement. It is on the chair:




So in love with this piece:




Adore this couch for my "sitting room":




sigh...

I can't wait to visit Marshalls/Home Goods and just walk around for hours, scanning and scouring. Treasures are in those aisles. I liked doing it 10 years ago, but now I think I will be good at it. I have matured, have a sense of what I consider to be timeless. I think scrapbooking helps as I have a better idea about incorporating texture and pattern while maintaining balance and flow.

If you have any good sites that could serve as inspiration, please leave a comment. I am hungry for ideas right now!

Since we are on the topic of style, here is a recent layout about my daughter! She is a riot...a 3 1/2 year old who adores fashion. She notices cool shoes, trendy necklaces, new shirts. Calls things she likes, "stylin'" Mom, don't I look stylin'! These pants are stylin'! It deserved a layout!



Ahh...I just hope I can be as stylin as her!

Drained

me...I am drained.

See, I am a true Libra. I need balance in my life. I am not sane without it! LOL! The past 4 days we have had many showings of our house, have packed the kitties in their carriers multiple times (I think they are traumatized), have washed the floor 18 times. I haven't created anything since Sunday, haven't had time to be on the computer. I have eaten on the run and have a cold. We have accepted an offer that is quite special and look forward to the future. I have to start thinking about new furniture and a new scrap room (WooHoo!).

Ummmm...not so balanced right!? I am hoping to regroup a bit in the next few days as the obsessive, compulsive control freak in me is freaking out!

Speaking of my quirks, I recently was given the task of creating a layout showcasing my personality traits. I have the great pleasure of guest designing for the All About Me challenge blog this month. The first challenge is to take one of those very cool personality type tests and then scrap it! You should totally check it out and play along!

I come up slightly different each time.

Yes, I am extroverted (what, you don't believe me!), but I also crave alone time. Spending an hour or two with glue and paper is a must for me. As I have grown older, I much prefer my scrappy table over a party. Because my profile seems to shift a bit, I decided that I might be somewhere in between! I wanted to create a layout with bold colors and complex patterns, one with a bit of whimsy.



Used Sass on this one...gosh, I love Sass. Thanks Melissa for the awesome inspiration!

Off to bed early...I need to even out those scales as soon as possible!

First Up!

So March will be good to me! I have a few surprises that make me smile! I will sell my house this month and I will start consistently exercising too! I will, I will!

First up...I had the opportunity to be a guest designer over at Pencil Lines this month along with the gals from My Scrapbook Nook! I love Pencil Lines and often drool over their team's work. Now my page is up there! This one:



I recently found this old photograph. The quality of it is soo terrible...it was taken by my old point and shoot! But, I love my expression. Ella was only a few hours old. I had just eaten a cheeseburger from McDonalds and Nathan wasn't so happy about being a big brother. Notice how I strategically placed a journaling tag over my large, just had a baby belly. I'm a smart one! LOL!

I also have the honor of being on the cover of Scrapstreet.com Magazine this month! I will admit that I have wanted to achieve this honor for a while now...and I am thrilled it was with one of my all-time favorite layouts! Check it out here! You will notice that Blog Bay this month is all about the talented Sheila Daniels. And Open Road is packed full of beautiful layouts! The issue is fab!

I'll have more fun stuff over the next few days! Happy Monday all!